Virtual SessionThis high-energy, 30-minute Turbo Talk will guide attendees through implementing the Design Thinking process for secondary invention workshops. It begins with a quick hook and poll (3 min) before detailing the crucial Empathize and Define phases, using a Think-Pair-Share activity to reframe problems (5 min). The core ten minutes focuses on the Technology Triage—strategically choosing between Makey Makey, Micro:bit, and Arduino—and integrating 3D printing for functional prototyping, using a digital poll to practice technology selection. The final eight minutes cover the Test, Iterate, and Assess phase, providing strategies for grading the process over the product, linking to ISTE Innovative Designer and Ignite Agency TLPs, followed by a 4-minute Q&A and resource share.
After this session, participants will be able to design a high-impact, five-phase project blueprint that integrates the Design Thinking methodology with Physical Computing for secondary students. They'll learn to select the most appropriate micro-controller (Arduino Uno, Micro:bit, or Makey Makey) based on problem complexity, and guide students in using 3D printing to create functional prototypes that address real community needs. Finally, they'll be able to evaluate student learning using iterative checkpoints within the Design Thinking framework, shifting assessment focus from product to critical decision-making.
To fully support this proposal, the session is grounded in established educational research focusing on Design Thinking, Maker Education, and Computational Thinking. Core backing includes Mitchel Resnick's constructionism and the 4 P's of Creative Learning from the MIT Lifelong Kindergarten group (see Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity at https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/3134/Lifelong-KindergartenCultivating-Creativity and his 10 Tips for Cultivating Creativity at https://mres.medium.com/ten-tips-for-cultivating-creativity-1160af8661fa). Implementation strategies are rooted in PBLWorks resources (https://www.pblworks.org/resources-overview) and the Design Thinking process, with guidance from the Stanford d.school's Design Thinking Bootleg (https://dschool.stanford.edu/tools/design-thinking-bootleg). The focus on hands-on technology and equity is supported by official Makey Makey resources (https://makeymakey.com/) and Maker Ed initiatives on assessment and equity (https://makered.org/resources/, specifically the Beyond Rubrics Toolkit at https://makered.org/resources/beyond-rubrics-toolkit/). Further academic support comes from Scratch Research on computational practices (https://scratch.mit.edu/research), and the general benefit of STEAM integration (e.g., The Case for STEAM Education at https://www.edutopia.org/article/case-steam-education). Additional practical resources, including my international conference presentations, are available on my Google Site (https://sites.google.com/view/profesofiagimenez/)
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